Compression coupling with convex split ring locking means



May 8 T. P. TURNIPSEED 2,836,438

COMPRESSION COUPLING WITH coNvEx SPLIT RING LOCKING MEANS Filed Dec. 6, 195a I NVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS United tes Patent COMPRESSIGN COUPLING WITH CONVEX SPLIT RING LOCKING MEANS Thomas P. Turnipseed, Opa-Locka, Fla.

Application December 6, 1956, Serial No. 626,710

1 Claim. (Cl. 285-161) This invention relates to a connector or coupling, and more particularly to a connector for use with electrical metallic tubes.

The object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector which is constructed so that tubes can be readily attached to or detached from various supporting members such as outlet boxes, the connector being provided with a mechanism which permits metallic tubes to be readily connected thereto or detached therefrom, the metallic tubes adapted to have the usual electric conductor wires or cables extending therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connector which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure l is fragmentary elevational view illustrating the connector of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the connector, showing the electrical metallic tube being inserted therein.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the tube all the way in the connector.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the compression ring.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral designates the body member which includes an externally threaded neck 11 that extends outwardly from an end thereof. The body member 10 is further provided with an enlarged shoulder 13 intermediate the ends thereof, and the shoulder 13 is provided with a plurality of angularly arranged fiat faces 14 whereby a suitable tool such as a wrench can be arranged in engagement therewith.

The other end of the body member 16) is provided with an externally threaded sleeve 15, and a support member 16 is arranged in threaded engagement with the sleeve 15. The support member 16 includes an inwardly extending annular flange 17 which is provided with a central opening whereby an electrical metallic tube 18 can be extended therethrough and into the interior of the body member 19 as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Arranged Within the support member 16 is a compression ring 19, and the ring 19 is interposed between the flange 17 and the outer end of the sleeve 15. The ring 19 is arcuate or curved or convex in shape as shown in Figure 4 for example, and the ring 19 is further provided with a split or slotted portion 20, whereby when sufiicient pressure is exerted on the ring 19, the ends of the ring adjacent the split 20 can be moved towards each other. For guiding the ring 19, an end portion of the ring adjacent the split 2% is provided with a tongue 21 which is seated in a recess or groove 22 that is formed in the opposite portion of the ring 19.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided a connector or coupling which is especially suitable for use in connecting tubes such as the metal tube 18 to a suitable supporting structure such as an electric outlet box. In use, the neck 11 may be extended through an opening in a conventional electric outlet box and then the lock nut 12 will serve to retain the body member 11 connected to the outlet box. With the parts in the position shown in Figure 2, a tube such as the tube 13 can be readily extended through the opening in the central portion of the support member 16 and into the space within the sleeve 15 until the tube 18 abuts the shoulder 23 as shown in Figure 3. Then, the support member 16 can be tightened on the threaded sleeve 15 so that the arcuate ring 1h will be compressed to thereby grip or clamp the tube 18 within the body member 10. As previously described, the ring 19 is arcuate in cross section as shown in the drawings, and also the ring 19 is provided with the split portion 26 so that as the support member 16 is tightened on the sleeve 15, the ring 19 Will be compressed between the flange 17 and the outer end of the sleeve 15 whereby the ring 19 will bulge inwardly to engage the outer surface of the tube 13 whereby the tube 18 will be held firmly in the body member 10. It is to be understood that the tube 18 may have the usual electric cables or conductors extending therethrough for any desired purpose. Similarly, by releasing pressure on the support member 16, that is, by moving the support member 16 from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 2, pressure on the ring 19 will be released so that the tube 18 can be readily removed from the support member 16 when desired. The tongue and groove arrangement indicated by the numerals 21 and 22 insure that the end portions of the ring adjacent the split 21) will be maintained in their proper aligned position.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in any desired shape or size.

With the present invention electrical metallic tubes such as the tubes 18 can be quickly and easily connected to the connector or coupling or removed therefrom, and the attachment or detachment of the tube 18 is accomplished with greater facility than has been possible with previous connectors or couplings. After the support member 16 has been manually threaded onto the sleeve 15 as shown in Figure 2, the tube 18 can still be inserted by means of a slight pressure and then only a fraction of a turn is required on the support member 16 to move the parts to the position shown in Figure 3 and this rotation of the support member 16 can be accomplished by means of any suitable tool so that the tube 18 will be firmly locked in place. The shoulder 13 is of suficient width so that when the connector is being fastened to an electrical box, the flat faces 14 can be engaged or gripped whereby the body member 16 can be tightened without tightening the support member 16. Thus, with the present invention it is only necessary to rotate the support member 16 a fraction of a turn in order to lock the tube 18 in place, whereas with previous couplings, it has been necessary to rotate the support member 16 several times in order to bring about the locking action.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the shoulder 23 is tapered as at 24 so as to prevent skinning of the wire. The flange 17 is tapered as at 25 for engagement with an end of the compression ring 19, the other end of the ring 19 engaging a tapered surface 26 on the end of the sleeve 15. Thus, the tapered surface 24 insures that the insulation or other material on the wire will not be damaged or accidentally removed from the wire due to the sharp protruding edges which might otherwise be present. Furthermore, due to the provision of the tapered or inclined surfaces 25 and 26, the compression ring 19 will against the tube 1s and this efiect, together i with the bulge in the ring 19 insures that the tube'18- will be held tight. Thus, there is provided an increased amount of holding area due to the provision of the tapered surfacesl' i k It'is tobe understood that the form of 'my invention herewith shown and described is to be'taken'as a preferred example of the same and that various changes rela tive to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claim. 7 I claim: V i

A coupling, comprisin'ga body member having an externally threaded neck on one end, a lock nut arranged 'in threaded engagement with said neck, an enlarged shoulder on said body member intermediate the ends thereof, said shoulder having a plurality ofangularly arrangedtool engaging faces, an externally threaded'sleeve opening in said support member and into the sleeve-of said body member, said ring being in cross-section slightly convex towards the inside of the ring, said ring having a split whereby when suflicient pressure is exerted on the ring, the ends of the ring adjacent the split can be moved towards each other, there being a coacting tongue and groove in said'ring adjacent said split to insure that the end portions of'the ring' adjacent the split will be maintained in their proper aligned position, said neck being of greater length than said sleeve, there being a shoulder arranged within said body member and said last named shoulder having a tapered surface to prevent skinning of the wire,'said sleeve and support memamount of holding area due to the provision of the extending outwardly from the body member and ar- 1 ranged onthe opposite end of the'body member from said neck, a support member arranged in'threaded en- 'gage ment with said sleeve and provided with an inwardly :extending'flange having a central opening, said shoulder being of sufic'ient Width so that the flat faces can be engaged or grippedwhereby the body member can be tightened without tightening the support member, a com pressible ring arranged within said support member and positioned betweensaid flange and the outer end'of said sleeve, an electrical metallic tube extending through the her having opposed inwardly tapered surfaces for engagement with the ends of the compression ring to force them inwardly so that there is provided an increased tapered surfaces.

ReferencesCited the file of this patent 

